North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Thomas Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>]

Hi,

Ordinances change over time, and what was fine once becomes banned.  To
my way of thinking, wasting gray water by putting it into a septic tank
is wrong.  I also believe that gray water may shorten the life of a
leaching field.  If memory serves, the phosphates in the laundry soap
kill the active bacteria in the leach field that keep it open and
flowing.  I am no expert in this area though.

My mother in-law uses a "water saver" washing machine, which re-uses
gray water for rinsing clothes.  It takes in clean water, washes, pumps
gray (rinse) water out to a laundry sink and re-uses it.  On the farm,
water is an issue, and she does not waste a drop.  When the laundry is
done, the remaining water is carried (by hand) to water the vegetable
garden.

These types of washers are common in rural areas, where there is a
demand for water, and water resources are low.

They still use the cistern which collects rain water from all the
gutters.  There is only one tap in the kitchen which offers drinking
water from the well.  The rest of the house water (toilets, sinks,
showers) all use cistern water.  Keep in mind that the single well has
to supply the single kitchen tap, and the needs of 100 thirsty cattle
when they are in the feed lot.

Most of us waste thousands of gallons of water, never even thinking
about it.  Gray water is one such waste.

Later,
Tom

crmauch wrote:

>  You might want to check local ordinances re: the laundry water (and
> gray water in general).  The prior owner of my house had routed his
> laundry room discharge to a gravel drain "pit" rather than have it go
> into his septic tank/field (I believe he was trying to avoid dealing
> w/ a failing field).  When it was discovered, he was forced to route
> it into his septic tank.
>
> Chris Mauchline
> SE PA, zone 6
>
> --- In nafex@y..., "Doreen Howard" <doreenh@t...> wrote:
> > Ginda,
> > Even if you have water restrictions due to drought this summer, you
> can
> > water a new currant bush or two with gray water--leftover water
> from the
> > house.  The dog or cat's stale water dish (instead of dumping it),
> > dishwashing water, bath water, even washing machine water, if you
> don't use
> > phosphate-loaded soaps.  I grew up in arid So. Calif. where we
> watched our
> > water consumption all the time.  I remember how my Dad rigged the
> hose from
> > the washing machine to pour into his vegetable garden.  And we used
> to haul
> > dish water out to the lemon and banana trees all the time.
> > Doreen Howard,
> > Wisconsin, Zone 4b, where winter finally arrived--2 feet of snow
> fell in the
> > last two days.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ginda Fisher" <ginda@c...>
> > To: "NAFEX" <nafex@y...>
> > Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 8:14 PM
> > Subject: [nafex] drought
> >
> >
> > > I was planning on putting in several shrubs this spring
> (including a
> > > couple of currants, so this isn't entirely off-topic) but we've
> had an
> > > unusually warm and dry winter, and I'm worried we'll have a
> drought this
> > > summer.  I can probably water anyway (my town rarely has tight
> water
> > > restrictions - every-other day is about as bad as I've seen it)
> but I
> > > wonder if I ought to just wait a year.
> > >
> > > In some ways, how much it rains during the spring and summer may
> be more
> > > important to success than how wet the winter was, but if it's
> generally
> > > dry, maybe more water would be needed.  And then, even if we
> don't hve
> > > real watering restrictions, I don't want to be wasteful in a dry
> year.
> > >
> > > Any thoughts?
> > >
> > > Ginda FIsher
> > > eastern Mass, zone 6
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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